Agromyza fusca Spencer

(Figs. 9–16)

Agromyza fusca Spencer, 1963: 295; 1967: 2; Spencer & Stegmaier 1973: 139; Martinez & Étienne 2002: 28; Étienne & Martinez 2003: 250; Boucher 2010: 1067; Sousa & Couri 2016: 2022.

Specimens examined. Costa Rica. Prov. San José. Moravia. Zurquí de Moravia, Tower path. 1600m. 30 MAR –6 ABR 2013. Proyecto ZADBI. Malaise trap #1, ZADBI-647. -84:00:57 10:02:58 #106495. INB0004424655 (1F: MNCR) ; same except 28 JUN–5 JUL 2013, ZADBI-894. #107115. INB0004433158 (1F: MNCR); same except 28 ABR – 3 MAY 2013, ZADBI-728. #106748. INB0004392009 (1F: MNCR); same except 14–21 JUN 2013, ZADBI-859.#107009.INB0004448991 (1F: MNCR); same except 21–28 JUN 2013, ZADBI-890.#107111.INB0004410286 (1M: MNCR); same except 7–14 JUN 2013, ZADBI-853. #106911. INB0004447900 (1M: MNCR) .

Supplementary material examined. Argentina: Salta Province. El Rey National Park. Rio La Sala, Malaise FIT. Humid mossy Chaco forest. 900m, 5-15.xii.1987, S & J Peck (1M: LEMQ) . Costa Rica: Heredia, 3km S Puerto Viejo, OTS- La Selva, 100m, Malaise. xi.1992, P. Hanson (1F: LEMQ) ; Cartago, 550m. Turrialba, CATIE. 4.ix.1986 s.s. Reventazon gorge. L. Masner (1M: CNC) ; Puntarenas Prov. Monteverde Estacion biologica. 1540- 1800m. 21-24 viii.1995. J.M. Cumming (1F: CNC) . Venezuela: Yacambo. 1200m. 10.v.1981. H.K. Townes (1M: CNC) .

Comments. Agromyza fusca Spencer is a distinctive Agromyza species with brown halter and partially infuscated wing (Figs. 9, 10), that is now widespread in the Neotropical Region. The species was originally described from Brazil (Spencer 1963) and later found to occur in Dominica (Spencer & Stegmaier 1973), Guadeloupe (Étienne & Martinez 2003), Argentina and Costa Rica (Boucher, 2010), and reported here for the first time in Venezuela. The specimens examined differ slightly from the original description in Spencer (1963) where A. fusca is described as entirely black. Most of the specimens examined from Costa Rica and elsewhere (Argentina, Venezuela), have the first flagellomere yellow to yellowish-brown, except one female specimen from Monteverde cloud forest (Costa Rica) with entirely brown antennae. In the original description, the colour of the first flagellomere is not specifically mentioned. Unfortunately, the holotype at the National History Museum, London (BMNH) is now missing its head (image of habitus available on the BMNH website: (https://data.nhm.ac.uk/dataset/collection-specimens/resource/ 05ff2255-c38a-40c9-b657-4ccb55ab2feb/record/4149691). Also, the male phallus of the specimens examined has a pale ventral membranous structure, ending in a tubule, better seen in lateral view (Fig. 11, arrow), a character that may have been overlooked in the original description and in the illustration found in Spencer & Stegmaier (1973). This membranous structure is not visible in the holotype (Fig. 16), although a lateral view is not available on the BMNH website (genitalia is fixed in ventral view on a permanent mount). The ejaculatory apodeme of this species has never been described but it is distinctive due to its elongated foot and narrow blade (Fig. 13, 15). This species was collected only at the main site (Zurquí), and only from Malaise trap #1, from March 30 th to July 5 th.

Host plant. Ichnanthus pallens (Sw.) ( Poaceae) (Étienne & Martinez 2003).

Distribution. Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Dominica, Guadeloupe, Venezuela *.